This Place Will Be Your Home
by lithiumvalentine
Summary: Picking up the pieces is never easy...especially when you've carried a tragic secret with you for seven years.
1. Chapter 1

There was something in the air that just made me down right miserable. Maybe it was the chilling cold leaking through the old car doors, maybe it was the bland greenish-grey of the all too familiar scenery or maybe it was just me. Either way, it was a combination of all of them and I was downright miserable. I pouted and glared out of the window, immaturely bemoaning my fate when really, I had no one else to blame but myself. I had started this mess seven years ago and had run away from it. To be honest, I was okay with running but Dustin insisted that the time for running was over and it was time to go home.

They say that home is where the heart is and by that, I interpret it as my physical heart. We could have moved anywhere in the country to start over again, anywhere I tell you, and where did Dustin have to pick? Where, I ask you? To the place where this cluster-fuck of my life began and ended, moving back to pick up the pieces.

"Stop pouting out the window like that, you're twenty four for God's sake." I heard from the drivers' seat. I glared back over at him, almost twenty eight and having given up his life for me when it had all gone to hell. Did I have a right to be this mad at him? No, not at all. But in my irrationality, that mattered little.

"Hey, I think I'm allowed to be a little moody here Dustin; after all, out of all the places you could have chosen to stop running, you had to pick fucking Sherwood."

"What's the point of stopping running if we don't go back to fix things? Look, I know why you're so scared to go back, I really do. But nothing will change if we don't. We both need to do this to move on with our lives. Besides, you don't know what will happen when we get there. Everything could work out better than expected."

"Oh, sure, I guess so."

"There you go!"

"And maybe we can all live in a gum drop castle and ride unicorns around town; I shall call mine Sunny Muffins."

"Just a regular ray of motherfucking sunshine, aren't you?"

"Yep, that's me."

The car lapsed back into tense silence again as Dustin went back to silently steering and I went back to moodily leering. I hated fighting with him, I really did, but I felt like he had pushed me into something I just wasn't ready for yet, or that I'd ever be ready to face. How does one face a past that they scampered half way across the country to escape like a thief in the night?

XoxoxoxoX

Two hours later, we were driving through a town that seemed frozen in time. Had the houses always been so small? Had the atmosphere been so still that the slightest sound and movement could disturb it? How was it possible for nothing to have changed at all in those seven long years? How, I ask you?

The street looked the same, the house in all its stoic silent glory, was the same. Even the tree in the yard didn't seem to have lost any of the marks of a childhood long since gone and forgotten. We took a moment to sit in the driveway, just staring, almost afraid and reverent in the presence of our old home, filled with too many memories to count, both good and bad. As always, Dustin was the first to break the silence.

"We should start unpacking. It'll be dark soon; there will probably be snow too."

I just nodded numbly, so not ready for this. "Okay."

Just opening the faded red door was a monumental feat in itself, almost choking on the sweet smell of familiar retreat, of the once safe haven we had called home. The movers had gotten here a few days before us and I could see from a quick glance that most of the larger furniture had been set up. It still looked too bare, devoid of pictures, colour, anything that would make this house resemble anything like the home it had once been.

The hours ticked by, box after box was unloaded. Clothes piled and hung neatly, beds made, everything but the kitchen sink placed in its rightful spot. Pictures were hung on walls and I found myself planning new colours for the house, to brighten it up. It still didn't mean I was enthused to be here. Minnesota seemed pretty dull after the bright lights and loud noises of California.

By the time the last box was unloaded, a flurry of snow had begun to descend from the sky and I cursed my inappropriate wardrobe for not containing enough warm sweaters or scarves. You didn't need a big jacket in L.A.; clearly we'd been gone too long. The furnace, while ancient, still worked well enough to quickly heat the house and it finally felt as if it had some life to it. I still wasn't enthused to be here.

After a hearty dinner of microwave pasta and packet salads, we collapsed onto the sofa in front of the television exhausted both physically and emotionally. Neither of us had the strength to enter their room, which had been empty for nine years now, nine long silent years. We sat staring blindly at some sitcom or other when Dustin felt the need to break the silence again.

"You know we have to see him tomorrow right? We can't avoid him, besides he knows we're back in town."

I sighed deeply, pinching the bridge between my eyes. "Don't remind me."

"You know I'm right though. When I called last week, he said he'd have some work for us at the shop and café. We need the money again, at least until we can find something more permanent."

"He'll probably expect us to be on our knees thanking him for his kind charity." I muttered bitterly.

"Come on! I know uncle Gus can be a little bit, well, a little agitated and obnoxious at times but he's the only family he has left and Kelly told me he's actually been excited to see us again."

Despite my dark mood, I smiled a little. Only a little. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, so that is. Look, don't worry about things so much." He extended his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. "I promise everything will be okay. Have I ever lied to you before?"

"I dunno what goes on in your head."

"Lydia!"

"Fine; no Dustin, you've never lied to me. Not even once." Because out of all the uncertainties, the drama and the pain that had transgressed, Dustin had always been there and he had never lied to me. Not even once.

Although sometimes, I wish he had.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi all! While I know I should probably be working on Out of the Blue, this one kind of hit me out of nowhere and I needed to get it down. To answer **__**annabellex2**__**'s question from the last chapter – Yes, the other boys will be starring in this little story in the next two chapters because it wouldn't be the same without them **_

_**Without further ado – CHAPTER TWO! **_

_XoxoxoxoxoX_

"I'm not going in there."

"Oh, yes you are."

"Um, no thanks, I think I'll wait in the car."

"You know we have to…"

"Doesn't mean I want to!"

"Fine, you won't face Uncle Gus, no problem."

"Thank you!"

"But that means I'll just have to look up and ring Ca –"

"Hey, how about we go inside? It's getting cold and Uncle Gus is expecting us!"

"That's what I thought."

We had arrived at Uncle Gus' house, the second biggest in all of Sherwood, Minnesota. I didn't like to think about the biggest house. Uncle Gus (or Gustavo Rocque as he infamously known as) hit it big in the late 70s and 80s producing a string of hits with various artists and groups while he was living in New York. However, because of his foul temper and inability to get along with anyone and everyone he met, he eventually found himself without artists, without a job and nowhere to go but back to Sherwood where his little brother and wife were raising a young family. He opened up a music shop in the middle of town which had always flourished and fifteen years ago, had bought the diner next to it along with his on-again off-again girlfriend Kelly.

Today we would be seeing him for the first time since Dustin and I had left Sherwood. Seven years ago. There had been phone calls. One-sided screaming matches. The occasional letter or birthday card. But not stood in the same room for seven years.

I knew he was angry with us; with me more likely. We were his family, his only family, and we left with just a pathetic excuse of a letter explaining the situation as vaguely as possible before stealing away to California one autumn evening. Maybe he'd want an explanation this time. He deserved one. But I didn't want to give him one, not yet, please God not yet. Dustin and I walked up the driveway towards the huge front door. We stood there, holding each other's hands like we used to when we were little and intimidated but such a loud man with such a big house. With a shaking hand I reached for the door bell but it had flown up before I could press it, revealing a smiling woman with open arms.

"Guys! You finally made it! You're finally home!" Kelly cried happily, embracing us both tightly before stepping back at arms' length to look us up and down. "My God, how you've both grown so much! You have to tell me everything about California and the sun and the beach – Gustavo is in the living room waiting for you."

Relieved momentarily at the ecstatic reception we walked into the cavernous foyer and heard the strains of a piano being played down the hall. I reached for Dustin's hand again, apprehensive. This was the moment of truth. One of many I was sure that we'd have to face no we had returned to Sherwood. We walked down the hall and found Uncle Gus seated before his piano, playing out some slow and sickly sweet tune. It probably had the world girl in it too many times, it usually did. Dustin and I stood in the doorway just watching him, not wanting to break the moment. It was just like we when were young and in rare moments of tenderness he would let us sit with him on the bench and play us kids songs or teach us basic scales.

Kelly walked from behind us and stood behind Uncle Gus, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He still jumped, laying a thick hand on the keys, distorting the tune from before and just like that the moment was gone. He turned his pudgy face towards us and his eyes narrowed a little. His expression was almost blank, studied indifference, not giving anything away but if you knew Uncle Gus, you'd know that could just be the eye of the storm.

"H-H-Hi, Uncle Gus. Long time no see." I said weakly.

_Smooth, real smooth kid. _

"Was wondering when you dogs were gonna show up on my doorstep." He replied loudly. I saw Dustin scowl out of the corner of my eye. He had never liked the nickname 'dog'.

"You're the one who invited us over, remember? Something about wanting to see you niece and nephew after seven years?" Dustin countered.

"Well, now I've seen you so what else do you want?" Uncle Gus demanded.

I hung my head. I had been expecting as much from him but didn't think we'd get dismissed so early. I knew the promises of work and familial bonding was all just lies. Poor Kelly stood there looking unsure of how to stop the situation at hand before it got worse.

"Fine." Dustin snapped. "We'll leave then. Thanks for nothing."

We turned to leave and had barely taken two steps outside the doorway of the living room before thunderous footsteps sounded behind us and two giant arms wove around our legs, making us sway unsteadily under the suddenly weight. Looking down, there was Uncle Gus, looking up with watery eyes and, probably for the first time in nine years, a sincerely heartbroken expression.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled softly. "Don't go. Don't ever go again. Please."

The last plea did it for me. Sniffling myself, I held my hand out for Uncle Gus to take, Dustin mirroring my actions. Not without some difficultly we pulled him off the floor and into a hug, letting him soak our shoulders with tears as he let out possibly years' worth of sadness. For us. For him. For the family. For everything.

_XoxoxoxoxoX_

"And that's pretty much it." I concluded with a sad sigh.

Seeing Uncle Gus open up emotionally to us made me telling him and Kelly the whole story behind us leaving in the first place a little easier. Not much easier though. At times I was too overwhelmed to go on, so Dustin filled in the blanks when I felt starved for air or tears blurred my view.

Kelly was silently weeping into a handkerchief and Uncle Gus looked lost for words, an event as rare as a blue moon. I thought maybe getting some of this off my chest would help, but nothing seemed to shift monumentally within me and I was confused. Wasn't this supposed to be the moment where I could move on with my life? Start afresh now all the dirty laundry had been aired? But I knew the reason; there were still people out there who deserved an explanation, who needed to be told the truth, some more than others, and until then, I couldn't start over completely. _Not now. Not yet. _

"Why didn't you call for us?" Uncle Gus asked, more than a little weakly. "We would've helped you, you know that."

I sighed again, head in hands and Dustin at my back. "I wasn't thinking clearly. The two years leading up to it had been so awful and confusing I didn't know what to think or do. Of course, looking back I realize how stupid I was but staying here at the time would have probably been worse. You've said it yourself, Uncle Gus, about small town gossip. I think if I had stayed to here all of that, I probably would've ended up running away at one point or another."

He nodded, understanding. Having left a small town for the big city only to return again, he knew probably better than anyone how vicious and malevolent small town gossip could be. Especially small towns like Sherwood. "So, uh, does, um, _he _know about all of this too?"

"No. After he left for New York there was nothing so I haven't bothered looking him up. Besides, how good would that look if after seven years I was demanding he speak to me because of this? It would make it look like I was out for money or publicity. I'd rather spare myself that."

"Fair enough." Uncle Gus said with a nod that seemed to say the subject had ended for now. _Thank you based God! _"Now, onto business." _Crap! _"You two obviously need jobs and I've got two positions open for you. I'm not doing this as a favor to you because we're related; you'll get treated as any other employee on the register."

"Gee, he really is too kind to us." Dustin muttered sarcastically. I stifled a giggle.

"Dustin you'll be in the shop with me as assistant manager," he smirked as Dustin's eyes bugged out. "You worked there before; I know what you're capable of. Besides, I need some more help controlling the mangy dogs I've already got working for me."

"Lydia, you'll be with me in the diner." Kelly smiled. I smiled back. "I know it's been awhile since you were there but we still run it just the same so you'll be picking it up in no time."

"Thank you, both of you," I replied, a little humbled. "We don't deserve this kind of treatment from you, not after what happened. So, just, thank you."

Uncle Gus waved his hand in the air, imperiously dismissive, as though it was nothing at all to bestow the gift of employment upon his niece and nephew, but as we all walked into the kitchen to have dinner, I saw his cheeks glowing a faint pink.

_XoxoxoxoxoX_

Two and a half weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Dustin and I were slowly adjusting to living in our childhood home again, adding more and more to it so it felt as it had the night we left. A real home. The old home town was even starting to grow on me again; it didn't seem so dull or bland as it had the first day, even with the increasing chill of winter approaching.

Dustin was loving working at the music store, even if Uncle Gus was his boss. His extensive knowledge of music and considerable talent with a guitar made him a favorite of customers and the other staff on call at the store. Uncle Gus said he still wasn't going to give him a raise until he mastered the piano. He'd be there awhile.

As for me, working with Kelly five days a week at the diner was wonderful. The Palmwoods Diner was one of the best in town, the inside decorated to look like a 1950s café on the coast of California. It was kitschy and more than a little camp but it was warm, friendly and had the best burgers this side of Minneapolis. Kelly was a wonderful boss, always encouraging and smiles, which more than made up for the fact that the cook, Mr. Bitters, lacked in social skills generally recognized by polite society.

I had been nervous at first, being so out in the public eye, the potential to be recognized by others in the town increased because, well, nearly everyone in town ate here at least once a week. But so far, the only people to recognize me were a few older citizens were fondly remembered Dustin and I as children and were more interested in life on the west coast than my reasons for leaving. The only other person to recognize me was the dish-washer at the diner, Guitar Dude. He had been in the same class as me in high school and was known as the town stoner. However, the fact that Guitar Dude was so affable, happy to do his own thing and kept out of trouble meant that the label of 'Town Stoner' wasn't necessarily a bad one. Like the old folks, he too was more interested about the waves and babes of Cali than that autumn night seven years ago.

It was late on Friday night and I was the last one working. Kelly had left for a dinner date with Uncle Gus, Guitar Dude had mentioned something about his one man band playing at a local bar and Mr. Bitters had simply thrown down his apron dramatically and left without a word, leaving me to clean the small diner on my own and close up for the night.

It was almost 9.30 pm when I heard the jingle of the bell above the door sound. I didn't turn around as I was busy cleaning the counter behind the front bar but said over my shoulder, "We're closing up soon and our cook has left for the night but is there anything I can get you?"

"Yeah, could I just grab a cappuccino to take away please?" the woman replied.

"No problem, coming right up." I said without turning around still, the coffee machine sitting right next to me.

As I frothed the milk and waited patiently for the coffee to drip through into the take-away cup, I felt the steam start to get to me and moved my hair over one shoulder, leaving my neck exposed. I felt a little better until I heard the woman behind me gasp. It was faintly so, still, I didn't turn around to face her. I was finishing pouring the milk into the coffee cup when she spoke, so softly it sent a chill up my spine. _Too familiar, way too familiar._

"Do you remember?" she asked. "It was a pretty wild summer, wasn't it? Neither of us had turned seventeen yet but you told me that if Dustin could get us in then we'd be fine. And you were right. We got into that tattoo parlor and somehow, somehow because you always did, you managed to talk me into getting a tattoo with you. You said we should get something to commemorate our friendship, so we decided on the date we first met. You got yours on the back of your neck –"

"And you got yours on the underside of your wrist." I finished for her, barely above a whisper. "And I held your hand because it hurt and you said that we'd always be there for each other; no matter what."

We both stood there, me scared to death to turn around and her, only a few feet away after so long. We were sisters, we were friends, we were sometimes enemies but we always loved one another. From the very first day she was tripped in the playground by bullies and I had tripped them back for her, becoming her savior.

"Lydia, please say it's you. Don't let this be a cruel joke. Please tell me it's you and you're back home. Please."

I screwed my eyes shut, willing away tears that were already falling down my face. Finally, cowardly, I slowly turned around to face her. It was like we were little kids again, meeting, awestruck, for the very first time. Me, the tomboy with ironically blond curly and wide hazel eyes and her, waif like, chocolatey brown hair and deep brown eyes that always shined when in the right light. Just like now.

"Lydia!" she breathed, almost reverently, reaching to touch my face like I'd disappear.

"Camille." I whimpered back before launching myself over the counter and into her warm embrace.

_**So, what did y'all think? Left it on a cliff hanger of sorts but I'm pretty sure you know what's coming next. Promise to have the chapter three up within the next two weeks so please review and let me know if you have any suggestions for the progress of this story. **_

_**Much love guys! **_


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